Ian, I agree, that it is after so much time not easy for us to understand how every aircraft was painted. This is no longer available for us. We have only limited sources, and japanese fotos at this time are often enough in poor quality...
Ok. Ian, but let´s talk about flying this thing. I have another wonderful source for you and our other fellow virtual pilots how to fly a Zero.... what´s about its strong points and its weaknesses.
This one:
" Koga´s Zero - The Fighter that changed World War II" by Jim Rearden. ISBN 0-929521-56-0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kogas-Zero-Fighter...0412&sr=8-1It is the true story of the first A6M2 Modell 21 Zero in american hands. It was at the 2nd attack on Unalaska/Dutch Harbour on June 4, 1942 (5th June Tokyo Time) from the aircraft carrier Ryujo ... A 19 year old pilot, named Tadayoshi Koga found his aircraft crippled after this. A bullet of mashine gun-fire has ripped a fuel-tank of his aircraft and it was clear, that he can´t make it home. But, their was an alternative. South of the Island of Akutan was an japanese submarine. The plan was to crash-land at Akutan and to go to the southern tip of that island. But, what was seen from the air as "good ground for landing" was in fact a swamp. The aircraft flipped over and the pilot was killed instantly. His two other guys in in their Zero saw the crash, and the order was in this case to set the wreck of the aircraft with gunfire on fire. But they cant. They hope, that Koga is alive. They returned to the carrier without fire into the wreck.
On 9. of July 1942 an american PBY-Crew on Patrol saw the wreck. The aircraft was recovered and brought to San Diego. It was after hard work nearly like a new aircraft "around 98 % percent of the real thing". This aircraft has flown against a lot of american aircraft and the the americans found out the way "how to escape a Zero on my tail and how to fight it..."
(But, I didn´t want to talk about ... read it!)
In Oktober 1942 the mystery of the Zero was no longer a mystery. From now on every american Pilot of the pacific theater of operations know the strong points and the weaknesses of the Zero...
Good in this book are the protocalls of flight against various american types of aircraft and the informations, tips and hints of former american pilots, flying this aircraft.
If You want to dogfigt in Multiplayer... the real aircraft against this first in large numbers produced variant are the Grumman F4F-3 and -4 "Wildcat" and the Curtiss P-40B/C/D/E... a risky business. With a Hellcat more on equal termes and the Corsair has far more potential. And never forget: The Zero has no bullet-prof glas, no self-sealing tanks, no armour at all!
But... never dogfight the Zero! Not below 220 mph... Go vertical...
by Ian Warren » Fri Apr 20, 2012 11:45 am 
.. with em fancy their folding wingtips 
